


Christmas Eve: A College AU

by 61feathers



Category: ARCO, The Maple Effect (Webcomic)
Genre: Arco - Freeform, M/M, The Maple Effect - Freeform, Yaoi, webcomic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-26
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-05-09 14:46:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5543897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/61feathers/pseuds/61feathers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arco confesses to Brynn about having liked him for a while now with a plate of chocolates. Aaron and June are off having sex behind a cemetery.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Christmas Eve: A College AU

**Author's Note:**

> Hey All!!! :D I would love it if you guys could do me a favor and leave your comments on the Smackjeeves page! I dont often check here, or even log in unless its to post something new for you guys <3 Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy ;)

Christmas Eve: A College AU

It wasn’t every day the man of your dreams walked directly into your dorm, sat down on the long L shaped couch your classmates normally sat around, and shyly offered a plate of home-made chocolates. It wasn’t every day that his eyes looked so bright, and he wore red that clung to his chest just a little too tightly, white collar poking up against his neck. It wasn’t every day that snowflakes stuck gently against his inky black hair, quick to melt as the heater blew down upon us. It wasn’t every day that anything of the sort could—or would—happen to me. However, it WAS Christmas, and with that I figured that miracles did happen.  
Arco Valentine was the single most popular guy in the university as far as I was concerned. He had women that wanted him, men that wanted to be him, and hell—probably pets that wanted to be owned by him. Considering his degree was focused in marine biology, and he was leader of the “puppy club” this year, I figured animals also took to him kindly.  
Arco also happened to live across the hall from me in another dorm room with his cousin Aaron, who was not far behind on the popularity scale either. However, focusing on a simple bachelor’s degree must have left him with more time to be social with his peers, instead of just fleeting and humble about it. Aaron had a boyfriend too—did I mention that? Yeah, a boyfriend that happened to live across the hall. That’s my dorm. That’s my roommate. That’s June Crow.  
I often fantasized and put myself in June’s shoes, wondering what it must be like to kiss those Valentine lips and hold him late at night when the snow was falling and neither of us had an early class in the morning. I wondered how often June got laid and if Aaron was any good at it. I wondered—but didn’t have the courage to ask—if those Valentine genes were more than just good looks. Was the sex good? If it was, was Arco any good at it?  
None of that really mattered though, it was just my young adult mind running amuck as that very man—that Christmas miracle—sat down in the corner of the L couch next to me with a plate of chocolates, and smiled sheepishly.  
“Why are you all alone on Chrismas Eve?” He said softly as I reached out and took a chocolate with my finger and thumb. I examined it carefully. Unlike Arco and Aaron, my family lived across the country and not forty minutes up the coast. So going home for the holidays was more than just a weekend event for me. I didn’t exactly have the money this year for a plane ticket, so I had done the responsible thing and decided to just stay here in the dorms. Not to mention my family wasn’t the most fun on holidays anyways. They went to midnight mass and insisted we remember the true meaning of Christmas—I wasn’t into that, and didn’t bother me to be alone. It never had.  
What did bother me, was that Arco was alone, because he never WAS. Aaron spent just about every moment he was spared from June with his cousin, and I knew that the two of them had in fact gone home for the holidays this year. I saw them leaving with gift bags and a huge photo album stuffed in their arms about ten hours ago. June had even gone.  
“I didn’t get the chance to fly home this year.” I told him, turning the chocolate over in my fingers. “Does this have nuts in it because—  
“N-No.” Arco shook his head, settling further into the couch and setting the plate aside. “I know you’re allergic to peanuts, I wouldn’t do that to you.”  
I couldn’t help it, my ears started to burn just a little at the way he ran his hand through his hair and sighed. I hurried and shoved the chocolate into my mouth before I would offend him any further, and licked the spot where it melted from my fingertips.  
Arco waited until I had chewed and swallowed before lifting his head off the back of the couch and looking at me again. “I’m sorry you had to spend tonight alone.”  
I shook my head almost instantly. “It really doesn’t bother me. To be honest, it was better than last year anyways. June didn’t get to go home last year and he wasn’t dating Aaron then, so he sat around and moped all night.”  
“Oh I believe it.” Arco snorted. “He really loves being part of our family. He bought everyone gifts—even our pets.”  
I folded my legs under me and leaned back, fidgeting with the remote against my side. I hadn’t been watching TV but suddenly the silence felt heavy, and I wished there was some background noise to distract us from it. It would be odd and probably rude to turn it on now though.  
“So… where is June now then?” I finally asked, trying not to think too much about how I was jealous that June was part of that family, and he probably had a very fun night exchanging gifts and what not, and if I had even half the chance to get in…  
“He and Aaron went for a drive to look at lights.” Arco had his eyes closed as he spoke. “Which means they’re actually going to park and have sex behind the cemetery like they always do.”  
He sounded annoyed. Just a little.  
“Y—You don’t approve?” I bit my lip, trying not to move so much so that he wouldn’t look over at me and wonder what the hell my problem was. It seemed unlikely that Arco would choose now of all times to be upset with his cousin for sleeping with June. It had never bothered him before—at least… that’s what June always said.  
“Oh it;s not that!” his blue eyes flashed and he shook his head. “No not at all, it’s just… they’ve been so perfect for each other you know?”  
I frowned.  
“All night I was watching them. Holding hands, giggling, kissing each other when they thought my family wasn’t looking… It was just so perfect. So perfect it made me… you know.”  
“Jealous?”  
“Give or take…” Arco smirked at his own ridiculousness, looking sidelong at me. “But I really can’t complain, I mean… You’ve spent the night alone and that makes me feel like shit you know. We’re all friends, you could have come with us. You SHOULD have come with us, but I honestly didn’t know. You never mentioned what you were doing for the holidays… I guess, I just didn’t think.”  
“Arco, I said it’s not a big deal.” I tried not to sound too harsh wishing that I would have mentioned it so that I could have gone with him. Granted I wasn’t exactly a social butterfly like June—I probably would have spent the majority of the night following Arco around and making polite, awkward conversation.  
Arco was frowning now, a crease in his brow making me nervous. I didn’t try to stop myself when I reached across him for another chocolate—just to put something in my mouth so that I didn’t have to sit in silence for too long.  
“I would have liked you to be there.” Arco said, voice warm and soft. He blinked slowly, then turned to look at me just as I swallowed. I sighed—just a little, and felt my heart flutter against my ribcage. Stupid. Stupid. Why did he have to be such a nice guy?  
“Why..?” I couldn’t help it. I had to ask.  
He did something then that I didn’t think I had ever seen Arco do before—he blushed. He blushed hard. Little pointed ears turning red at the tips and swallowing so that I could see his adams apple move in his throat. He looked down, and away, and spoke almost too quickly for me to understand.  
“I was lonely. I was kind of jealous of Aaron… I… just—  
My heart was racing then, pounding because for some odd reason it was like I knew exactly what he was going to say before he could finish. It may have been my imagination, or just the shock of this whole thing anyways, but when he opened his mouth and the words didn’t quite come, I reached across the gap between us and set my knuckles just barely against his knee.  
“I like you, Brynn.” He admitted finally. “I have liked you for a while, and when I was home tonight with my family I felt like a part of me was missing. And I know it’s silly—we’ve always just been friends, but I guess my imagination just got out of hand and I started to think of what you’d be doing if you were there… you know with me. Like a thing. Like… June and Aaron”  
I was stunned. Absolutely stunned. Was he asking me out? Part of me thought I might throw up at the pure shock radiating through my body. My head spun, but this had been what I was thinking the whole time right? Right???  
“Sorry…” Arco finished when I couldn’t respond. “It’s silly, like I said.”  
“A--Arco.” I spluttered, face heated red and eyes wide and heart tingling deep inside of me. He looked almost hurt, as if I had just shot him down for not responding immediately. I swallowed once, and again, and my mouth was dry and no matter how many times I rubbed my lips together the moisture just wouldn't come. 

“I’m sorry if that was weird.” He shook his head downward, kicking himself for the honesty. “I mean… you're not even into guys, are you?”

I let out a soft breath, astounded that of all the things this was what he was worried about most. Sure, I mean, I had never exactly shown my attraction towards anyone so what did he have to base his assumptions on? But still, I wasn't exactly walking testosterone. Unlike him, oddly enough, who up until now HAD been attracted to women, and HAD shown his sexuality with ease. Again, I was almost too dumbfounded to speak.

He liked me. Arco Valentine, the most popular guy on campus, the most attractive, the most kind and funny and--

He liked me. For a while now.

“I do.” I said finally, and his eyes flashed up again. “I always have. Especially… well you. Arco.”

His face that has been so ashamed a moment ago brightened completely, even his cute pointed ears seemed to perk up at the words that came fumbling out of my mouth. I tried to swallow again, and a nervous nauseous feeling swirled inside of me. It wasn't that bad though, kind of just like… when your stomach drops on a rollercoaster.

“You mean to tell me.” Arco leaned towards me on the couch, thick black eyelashes lining those incredible, prying eyes. “That we’ve both been secretly liking each other and up until now it could have been THIS easy?” He laughed. “This Goddamn easy.”

All I could do was shrug, and suddenly I wanted another piece of chocolate to fill my mouth so I was reaching across his lap and he was raising his hands to put them on my shoulders. He stopped me, held me steady and waited until I met his eyes.

“What now?” He whispered, excited.

“W--what?” I wriggled a little, my insides collecting themselves too far south. It was irrational and completely stupid to think that just his hands holding my shoulders was enough to make my nether regions swell. “I-- I want more.”

I meant the chocolates, mind you.

He bit his lip-- not in the way that I had earlier. Not the nervous-can't-control myself kind of way. He did it purposefully, let his pierced brow raise and there was an evil smile in his voice. “I want more too.”

“W--Wait a-- the chocolate.”

My hand that had been gently lingering above the plate then planted itself against his side, and in the quiet of the lounge area on this Christmas Eve he was caressing my face, suddenly, hot cheeks against his cold hands. I flinched just a little. They were large, palms resting against the sides of my neck. He tilted his head towards me, eyes fluttering shut, lips parting.

I sucked in a tiny gasp of a breath and met him the other portion of the way that I knew he was waiting for. Never in a million years did I think that I would get to kiss those lips, and never in a million years did I think that his hands would move down my shoulders and arms and grip my waist with ease. And never, EVER, did I think that he would center me in his lap, legs apart on either side of him as he leaned back into the L crook of the couch. The plate of chocolates hit the floor with a sad clatter. I didn't care.

Arco Valentine was kissing me, rubbing me down gently upon his strong body and through the material of his red sweater. His hands pushed and pulled in all the right directions and his tongue--oh god-- his tongue prodded my mouth open gingerly. And I was feverish, palms sweaty as I tugged at his short, coarse locks of hair. I gasped, shiver rolling up my spine and erection now pressing firm into the material of my pants. 

“Mmmn Brynnnn.” He cooed, hands palming my backside. “Why didn't we do this before?”

I couldn't speak, so I just shrugged again, and closed my eyes and tried not to think about who might come walking in any moment and find us here making out on the couch. I tried not to think about how easy he made things like this. Tried not to think about how if I really wanted to, I could probably unbutton his pants and pull out his cock and start sucking an--

“A--Are you okay?” He cut me off, blinking owlishly at the way my whole body trembled. His ears were red and cute and his lips a little wet looking even though I was positive mine were still desert-dry. I let out a small, shaky breath and nodded as best I could. Dizziness swept over me in small, passionate waves. 

“I--I--Mm’fine.” I slumped into him. “I--Lets not. Out here. Okay?”

“Wanna go back to my room?”

I nodded instantly, missed the mischievous smirk that landed upon his face, and tried not to scream when he lifted my body over his shoulder and carried me right off his lap and couch in one easy scoop. My fingers knotted into his sweater, eyes wide as he stepped over the plate of spilled chocolate and held me up like a toddler with one arm. His free hand was playing against my pant-line where jeans met skin and shirt had been raised just a little. He poked a freckle there against my lower back, and if I didn't know any better I would have sworn he drew a heart around it with his fingernail.

It was a good thing the dorm room was just a few paces down the hall and no one was in sight to see this odd scene of him carrying me. I fidgeted, pressed my mouth against his shoulder and tightened my legs around his waist, and he sighed.

“You left the chocolates.” I stated as he ushered us through the dorm room door.

“You knocked them on the floor.” He challenged, stopping only to readjust my position so that he could toss me into the bed. 

“Will you make more of them?”

“Hmmm…. No.” Arco looked like he had just won a Grammy-- the way his face looked in low light. He was pleased, very pleased obviously with how this Christmas Eve had turned out. And while I was still in shock, waiting to wake up from this very real and astounding dream, I couldn't exactly disagree. 

“But I’ll give you more.”

And just like that he was crawling over me in his bed.


End file.
